Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of suprapermafrost groundwater dynamic processes in the permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Abstract

Suprapermafrost groundwater fulfils an important role in the hydrological cycle of the permafrost region. Under the influence of the soil freeze–thaw process in the active layer, the dynamic process of suprapermafrost groundwater is too complex to be fully quantified, which has limited our understanding of the features of groundwater dynamic processes in permafrost regions. To bridge this gap, the dynamic characteristics of the suprapermafrost groundwater level were systematically observed, and pumping tests were performed under different topographic conditions (e.g., altitude, slope orientation, and distance from the river). The results showed that the differences in the heat distribution and recharge source of groundwater at the different altitudes and slope orientations determined the phase and threshold of the variation in the suprapermafrost groundwater movement state. There was a significant Boltzmann function relationship between the groundwater level and soil temperature. The groundwater level in the downslope during melting increased earlier and that during freezing declined later than that in the upslope part during the initial thawing cycle and the initial freezing cycle, respectively. The groundwater level on the shady slope decreased twice as fast as that on the sunny slope at the initial freezing stage. There was a favourable exponential relationship between the hydraulic conductivity (K) and soil temperature in the study area. On the sunny slope, K was higher than that on the shady slope, and K was higher in the area near the river than in the area far from the river. When the melting depth of the active layer reached 2/3 of the maximum depth, K reached its maximum value. The study results also revealed that when the soil temperature was reduced to 1–0 °C, a strong linear relationship occurred between K and soil temperature.